Prem/EFL deal still a long way off
THERE are growing fears the Premier League’s financial deal with the EFL faces an even longer delay.
The 20 top-flight clubs are under pressure from the Government to agree a package to stop the independent regulator from having to step in.
Prem bosses held two meetings – on February 29 and March 11 – with the clear message they would put forward a new proposal for the clubs to vote on and offer to the EFL.
But the stand-off remains and any deal feels further away than ever. The three main sticking points are...
1. Clubs feel they cannot agree to a deal with the EFL until they know their own budgets with the new-look Profit and Sustainability Rules yet to be agreed.
2. They want PSR done in “real time” with pointsdeduction punishments imposed in the same season not the following year, as has been the case with Everton and Forest.
3. Manchester City have launched a legal challenge over PSR, which could bring down the whole system – and some clubs believe it impossible to agree anything until that case is resolved.
The Premier League’s next hope was the new PSR arrangements would be in place before the end-of-season Annual General Meeting, which is usually held in June.
That would enable them to agree a new proposal to take to the EFL, which would stop the independent regulator from imposing a financial deal once the Football Governance Bill is passed.
However, the chances of that happening are falling and, despite the rough agreement of a six-year £998million package for the football pyramid having been discussed, that has hit a deadlock.
There is also frustration at some clubs that the reasons behind the stand-off have not been made public when the reality is they are ready and there is a willingness, but it has been held up in red tape and infighting.